E/CN.4/1990/17 page 48 allegedly beat prisoners held in that ward. It was alleged that the troops had indiscriminately beaten the prisoners after the latter refused to leave the ward in order to be counted, and that, as a result of the beating, 57 prisoners were injured. 152. On 5 and 18 April 1989 the Governement informed the Special Rapporteur that Keraal Isiktas, who was described as an agitator and organizer of an unauthorized meeting, had been taken into custody on 22 February 1989, on charges of having violated Act No. 2911 on Public Meetings and Demonstrations. He had been released on 24 February 1989. According to medical reports duly prepared by physicians and an investigation made by the relevant authorities, Mr. Isiktas had not been subjected to any kind of mistreatment during interrogation and detention. No legal action had been taken against Mr. Ali Meric, the other person mentioned in that context. With regard to Hasan Hacioglu, Mehmet Nuri Ozmen, Timsal Sackan, Bercan Batur, Ihsan Tekel, Glirdal Aksoy, Nadire Gliltas and Nuray Ariduru, on 23 February 1989 they had been taken to the court for the final hearing of the case concerning participation in the activities of an illegal terrorist organization called "PKK". During the hearing they had shouted slogans against the territorial integrity of the State and had offended the court. Although they had been acquitted by the court, the eight persons in question pursued their illegal action even in the vehicle taking them back to the prison for the completion of their release formalities. Once these formalities were completed, they had been taken into custody on the basis of the warrant of apprehension issued by the Public Prosecutor because of their action during and after the court hearing. Allegations of ill-treatment concerning these persons had been thoroughly examined and found baseless by competent authorities. The medical reports established that they had not been subjected to any kind of ill-treatment. The Government further informed the Special Rapporteur that on 1 March 1989, some of the inmates in Ankara closed prison refused to be counted and forcefully resisted the gendarmerie officials (attached to the Ministry of the Interior and in charge of maintaining order and security in the prison). As a result of physical confrontation between the prisoners and the officials, some inmates (Ciineyt Kafkas, Abdullah Demir, Hliseyin Poyraz, Hasan Huseyin Kaner and Mehmet Bayrak) had been injured and taken to hospital for necessary treatment.. All of them had been cured and quickly recovered. The medical reports indicated that none of the injuries were serious. An official investigation into that incident was under way. Once it was completed, the public prosecutor would take appropriate legal action against all those who were responsible, and it was out of the question that any official who had mistreated prisoners would remain unpunished. 153. On 16 March 1989 the Government of Turkey addressed a letter to the Special Rapporteur containing background information on allegations that 239 people had, in recent months, died as a result of torture or ill-treatment while in police custody. The examination of 146 cases had already been concluded and the results were the following: 10 of the people listed as having been tortured to death while in custody were actually alive and well. They included five persons who had never been taken into custody. Thirty-four people had reportedly committed suicide; 42 had died as a result of illness or other natural causes, and this had been verified by official doctors' reports or documents issued by authorized health authorities; 22 had been shot dead while attempting to escape from custody or having engaged in clashes with security officers; one had been the victim of an ordinary murder case, and three had died as a result of a hunger strike in prison. Thirty-two